Violators of Other Nations’ Rights in No Position to Advocate Human Rights - Tehran

By Staff, Agencies

Spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Saeed Khatibzadeh dismissed anti-Iran resolution at the UN Human Rights Council and said that violators of other nations' rights cannot claim advocacy of human rights or judge situation of human rights in other countries.

“First, they must be kept responsible for their crimes involving gross abuses of human rights,” said Khatibzadeh, rejecting an anti-Iran resolution passed by the UN Human Rights Council on March 23 with the minimum of votes.

He said that certain European countries were behind the resolution's issuance.

Khatibzadeh criticized the resolution expanding the mandate of the UN special rapporteur on the condition of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, arguing the reports do not mention the deaths of tens of thousands of Iranian children and hundreds of sick people due to a lack of access to medicine and medical equipment as a result of US sanctions against the country.

He noted that all allegations leveled against Iran since March 2011 have been one-sided accusations.

Tehran has repeatedly called the appointment of special rapporteur for a country like Iran as inexcusable and unconstructive, the spokesman underlined.

He emphasized that despite the unfair strains imposed by US economic terrorism, Iran has stayed true to its commitments.

Approval of such anti-Iran resolution, he said, was a bid to use the human rights issue as a tool while ignoring the values and cultural characteristics of various societies.

Khatibzadeh expressed regret over some states' abuse of the issue of human rights and their use of double-standard policies, citing the US attempts to suppress its national protests as a good example to measure the US commitment to Human Rights Law and the decision at the UN Human Rights Council resolution against Iran by certain states that are known to be perpetrators of Human Rights violations.

Anti-Iran resolution to extend mission of special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran was approved at the Council with 21 votes in favor and 26 against or abstained.

China, Russia, Cuba, Pakistan and Venezuela have been among the countries called the Council's decision as unconstructive and fruitless.